Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are now finally official. Differentiated primarily by the size and resolution of their screens — 5.0-inch 1080p display on the Pixel and 5.5-inch Quad HD panel on the XL — these two devices are built by HTC, but Google takes the full credit for their design and makes this explicit with its “phone by Google” branding. Both Pixel models are powered by latest Snapdragon 821 processor and run a specialized version of Google’s Android software, that includes support for the Daydream virtual reality platform that was announced at Google I/O in the summer.
The Google Pixel phone features a 5.0-inch AMOLED display with 1,080 x 1,920p resolution, plus 4 gigabyte of RAM and a 2,770mAh battery. The phone runs on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 821 chip, which includes a Kryo CPU (10 percent faster than 820), an Adreno 530 GPU, and also the Snapdragon X12 LTE modem.
Meanwhile, the Google Pixel XL boasts a larger 5.5-inch screen with 1,440 x 2,560p resolution, and a larger 3,450Ah battery. It also runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 chip, and it will charge up to 7 hours of its battery life in just 15 minutes – apparently.
Both handsets come equipped with the Google’s new Android 7.0 Nougat software, as well as the expected fingerprint scanner and USB-C port. Other new features include the background downloading and installing for software updates, and 24/7 live customer support (over chat or phone) built into the phone – with a handy screenshare option, too.
Both handsets ship in 32 gigabyte or 128 gigabytes options, and feature an aluminium unibody and a polished glass design. You can grab them in three different colour options – Quite Black, Really Blue and Very Silver – with pre-orders starting.